Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

M*A*S*H Unit Gains a Shortstop

Add Jed Lowrie to the walking wounded. The shortstop, who has been sharing the position with Jed Lowrie, had to leave Thursday’s game in the bottom of the fourth inning with what the club described as an “irritated left forearm”.

I’m not sure yet if that is of any relation to Lowrie’s left wrist, which was surgically repaired in April.

Lowrie has not been hitting at all since he returned from the disabled list the second game after the All-Star break.

Overall this season, Lowrie is hitting .143. He has 17 strikeouts in 56 at-bats.

Re-post from the previous thread.
The Sox let the potential win get away! Joba is throwing garbage tonight. My advice for the best field management the Sox ever had:
1. Take that fifth starter out of the rotation. The experiment is ovah.
2. Cut Big Papi’s playing time or move him down the order. 3. DFA Green. If Lowrie cannot play everyday, get another ss.
4. Billy Traber?????????????????
Thank you and good night! Oh, before I go. To Farrell and Francona: &*******#$%%

I am already seeing some of you hanging this on Traber.. this is not on him, but SQUARELY ON THE SHOULDERS OF THEO AND COMPANY.. H e went out there and did what he could.. they just didnt stock him with the right bandages…
THEO.. I’ve said this about Drew many times… NOW ITS FREEAKING TIME FOR YOU TO EARN YOUR MIGHT FRIGGING HEAFTY PAYCHECK.. BUT OOPS, TRADE DEADLINE WAS LAST FRIDAY… DOES THE NAME HALLADAY RING BELL?? i GUESS he’s not old enough!!!!!!!!!!!
You all know it takes a whole lot to really piss me off.. WELL GUESS WHAT I AM FURIOUSLY **********.. GORILLA SUIT TIME?? Whe I think of Gorillas suit I think of the scene from the Ackroyd movie with Jamie Lee Curtis.. Trading Places.. I hope they let himout in that suit in front of male gorilla in heat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wasnt pointing you out greg.. but I can see it coming,, you know mislaying the blame.. Tito worked with the commands from up top and with what he had!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it is 2006 al over again.. BUT PLEASE REDSOX MANAGEMENT PROVE MY A*S*S WRONG, OKAY??? EARN YOUR PAYCHECKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The problem I have right now (and this is also on the FO!), is that Smoltz, like Traber, is taking up a roster spot (that was also the problem I had with Loopy!). We need some people who will actually CONTRIBUTE to this team, not tread water or sink.

I agree with you there Greg – even just to eat innings Traber isn’t the guy! How soon do you think we will see Paul Byrd in the pen? I would still like to see Smoltz in the pen – he can give you an inning or two

We’re not done yet, people. But I will say that this player carousel has me worn out. Oops… I broke a fingernail. Gotta go to the DL for some R&R. Who’ll they call up tomorrow night? And for that matter will we field a team that can start TWO nights in a row this season? Let’s take a deep breath and hope for a split this weekend. That would be okay.

Ron Kelly (is that in fact your name, or is there another meaning?), you are welcome to join us more often (preferably when we have a better outing!). I don’t recall seeing you on here –have you posted here before? Can you give us intel on the Twins, let alone the Yankees? ;) Welcome, and take care.
Beckett on the mound should give us an opportunity to win. He can’t do it if we can’t score with RISPs, or if our BP implodes. Get it done tomorrow, guys–it’s gut-check time (including for the FO!) Take care, all!

moanin all….well who wants to bet on which guy gets hit by beckett….i guarentee they wont be diving over the plate like they did against smoltz…im thinkin texeira gets it…oh yea h remember me hollering for that trade for halladay…well buchy is living up to my never gonna be an ace comments….let hope he can prove me wrong….judge….go sox

Wow, I just had this really awful nightmare.. wait… it WAS real!!
I too lobbied for Halladay… and its showing now how badly we need him. Ooops too late for that!!! anyway, time to pasture out Ol’ Smoltzie… Off to work.. se y’all in a while.
oG-xoS

I am not shocked by the loss. It was expected. What makes the loss unbearable was that Chamberlain was wild and wide and a clutch hit would knock him out in 4 innings at most. I said it with a tongue in cheek hoping Smoltz would give 5 solid innings. What I am infuriated about is what make our brilliant pitching coach and manager so confident and patient about Smoltz. If Smoltz couldn?t pitch against the cellar dwelling teams, you expect him to pitch well against the Yankees?
Couldn?t the frigging Farrell see what we saw about Smoltz?s pitches? I don?t think bullpen is a viable option for Smoltz, a waste of a roster spot. I think Francona yanked Smoltz too soon and should let him pitch the complete game so he wouldn?t be available till November 1.
What can Dave Magadon do about risp? Can he say something to the hitters like ?you ___high paying losers, be patient and shorten you swing and make at least a productive out.?
Last year was Buckie and this year is Smoltz. I have repeatedly said the Sox hitters have to pitch and the pitchers have to perform in order to win.
Take Papi out of lineup or move him down the order preferably to the 8th.. Call up whoever the ss is at Pawtucket, can’t be worse than Green.
The season is far from over.

3 for 21 RISP, night before terrible too. You dont need to be Einstein to see what the problem is. Sun Tzu the Art of War, “if you losing the battle must change you tactics before you lose the war.” Maybe Francona should start thinking small ball. Moving runners, bunting, hit and run, anything to force the hitters to concentrate more. Of course pitching helps too.

rooster7: Are you kidding me? Francona doesn’t know how and when to panic. Once he handed out the lineup card, he is watching the game from the best seat in the park. And ocassionally moves his butt to yank a pitcher either too soon or too late.
To paraphrase Francona, Smoltz pitches better than his numbers indicate.

I have said on here many times, starting pitching is a concern for me. Lester/Beckett are a solid duo but after that….not much. It showed last night. That all being said, where would Theo/Red Sox turn to for that starter???? I here people mention Halladay ( I wanted him as well—who wouldn’t?? ) but Toronto couldn’t get a deal done with anyone, that speaks volumes right there. What good is it if you have runners on base all night but can’t come up with the CLUTCH hit!

First of all what a shame it is too watch a future Hall Of Famer pitch like Smoltz struggle. He has been one of the best pitchers in the last (15) years or so. A first ballot of Hall Of Famer!
Smoltz needs to go to the bullpen. Remember righties are hitting roughly .232 against him. He could give the Sox a good inning or two out of the pen and that is about it. I’m guessing Bowden will take his turn in the rotation or Wakefield will come off of the D.L. and take Smolt’s turn in the rotation. Whatever the situation will be, Smoltz SHOULDN’T make another start for the Red Sox.

When you throw your ace like Boston is doing tonight, Boston somehow someway has to win this game tonight. Beckett needs to take the ball and show everyone why he is among the elite pitchers in the game and get a W tonight!

Hey everyone.. Here I am at the office.. slow today.
Does anyone else feel that even Tito sholdnt be blamed for last nights debacle?? This all shouldfall dead center at the FO’s feet… Their failure to see that we needed pitching.. The Koolaid that they’ve been serving to all of us that we have such DEPTH… weeeelllll, Can’t see the depth that they are talking about… Oh OKay, deep.. they reached DEEP to the bottom of the barrel last night…….
They did take care of the bat that we needed, but you have to have pitching….
This is starting to look more and more like 2006. I think Theo and Co’s approval rating has taken a HUGE hit in the past couple of weeks.
Hey Ian. how about sending the front office a copy of the blog from say the past 10 days or so…. I wonder what they would think or say……

Brian.. Smoltz needs to go home and preserve what little bit of dignity he has left… Everytime he takes the hill al people are saying is..” I LOVED Smoltz when he was good… Wow,, what a shame to see his career end like this.. ”
It’s time to quit….

I disagree that Smoltz needs to go home. I think he can help the pen….He is good for (1) inning or (2) innings.

Changing subjects here. Nice move by the Pats to nab Derrick Burgess. He lead the N.F.L. in sacks in 2006, he is a proven pass rusher. The Pats have lacked a pass rush in recent seasons. He should have an impact in 2009. Last time the Pats got a guy that was unhappy in Oakland…some guy named Randy Moss, I think that has worked out. Enough of football. Then again with Beckett on the hill tonight, will we see some football tonight??? LOL!!! Beckett was suspended earlier in the season so he needs to be careful if he does anything tonight. Big brother ( also known as M.L.B. ) is watching! Boston hitters are getting plunked and the Red Sox pitchers haven’t returned the favor…Not yet!

As I said it last year, any one but Buchholz. This time is any one but Smoltz. Who is that anyone? I don?t know. That?s not my problem. That any one has a chance to win a game with 6 runs scored. The Sox actually had 3-1 lead at one time seems so long ago. Tito should not be directly blamed for the loss. But it?s Tito?s job to decide who to start, etc. etc. But when Cabrebra hit that shot, never mind, that?s second guessing. It won?t make any difference having Traber backing up Smoltz.
The season is not over. There is still ample time to right the ship.

Brian. Even Eckersley (whom I do not really care for, but he does know pitching and pitchers) said its time.. That it was like watching Unitas play for the Chargers in his last season… his last should have been the one before…. he just came back one too many times. I have never felt as sad for a player as I did last night.. That was gutwrenching… He just doesnt have “it” anymore….

Ellen…My thoughts about why Smoltz should go to the pen. Assuming he would want to be there. It seems Smoltz’s biggest problem is second time around the order. Pitching out of the pen, he’ll face a hitter (1) time and that is it, he’ll never face a hitter for the second time coming out of the pen. I am in agreement with you about watching Smoltz. The guy has been one of the elite pitchers in the game, even during the steroid era. Which speaks volumes of how great Smoltz was and of course “was” being the key word. It’s sad too see a guy that was great and now in 2009, he is brutal! He is a shadow of himself. I’m sure he feels like “crap”. He is a competitor and that is why he has lasted this long.

One thing I do enjoy about Eckersley, he is honest and speaks the truth. He isn’t afraid to give his opinion and I love that about him. Even though sometimes I disagree but I respect his opinion very much. So many analysts , football, baseball and other sports just say generic boring stuff and are afraid to give there opinion, not the case with Eckersley. I like that about Eck. I remember Keith Foulke would talk some nonsense and Eck never let him get away with it.

Brian:
I have to agree with Ellen. Smoltz simply doesn?t have ?it? any more. A BP pitcher can get a hitter out as well the first round. When do you call for Smoltz service in the bullpen? Surely not in a tight game. Smoltz is getting bonus for each day he spends on the active roster. Might as well donate the $$ to Jimmy Fund.
The Sox?s rotation ERA is worse than the O?s and Nats.
Don?t know if Francona realizes that Big Papi can?t hit major league pitching any more. Papi gidp with 2 on and none outs and popped up in similar situation the next plate appearance. That were potential 2 runs at least.
I know Dave is going to kill us for saying this. Lugo as it stands now is a better SS than Green and Lowrie because of his injury.

I disagree when you say Smoltz doesn’t have “it” anymore. As a starter, I agree totally. As a reliever, he could get the job done. I am not saying Smoltz should be in the pen and then all of a sudden be put in during a tight game immediately, no way would I want to see that. He would have to earn his stripes in that pen. Only relievers that should see action when the Sox are ahead are…Oki, Ramirez, Bard, Delcarmen and Papelbon. Saito and Smoltz would pitch when the Sox are trailing. When the Sox traded for Ramirez, Francona eased him in and Ramirez didn’t pitch with a lead right away but he earned Francona’s trust. I think that is how it should go with Smoltz if Francona put him in the bullpen. One thing we all agree, Smoltz should NEVER make another start with the Red Sox. Another thing, why is Billy Traber with the Red Sox??? I would rather have Aaron Small! LOL!! My oh my.

Julio Lugo like Edgar Renteria was NEVER going to make it as a s.s. in Boston! Somethings are very obvious and signing those (2) guys to long term contracts was very evident early in there Red Sox career’s. Theo dropped the ball signing both of those guys. I will admit when the Sox signed Renteria I was happy about it, I didn’t like the 4 yr. contract but you can’t have everything. What Theo and the baseball ops. dept. was thinking when they signed Lugo to that insane deal, I will never ever know. Then again…I’m not sure if want too know what the thought process was about Lugo.

Brian: I would agree with you if this is June or July. We have less than 2 months left for the regular season. It is waste of roster spot to use Smoltz only when the Sox are trailing. Saito is capable of doing that job. I will bring up Hunter Jones or whoever (bull pen) and Bowden (SP). Traber was the sacrificial lamb and would likely be DFAed. No. Traber will be DFAed. I

As I said, when Smoltz goes to the bullpen initally have him pitch only when Boston is trailing. If he shows he can get the job done coming out of the pen, he’ll end up pitching with a lead. If he still gets smoked coming out of the pen. I guess he’ll be playing golf sooner than he thought he would be.

Wakefield has thrown some side sessions recently, so I assume he might be ready to go soon. If he isn’t ready, have Bowden take Smoltz’s spot in the rotation. When the season started it looked like Boston had some starting pitching depth, everyone thought that. I know it’s a different sport but former Bills head coach Marv Levy said about depth….Depth is only good until you have to play it in a game. Great line by Levy.

Brian, what I saw last night and in a couple of his previous starts where he was lit up or shelled is a man who KNOWS in his heart that he cant keep up any more… I think its as simple as that… Brian, his face in the dugout said it ALL. I know he “was” great and when remembered will be remembered for being a KILLER in the National League. If he goes much further his will be destroying his legacy.

Brian: We had enough with Smoltz experiment. We don’t want to start another experiment in the bullpen. It is done, all ovah. Pennant race, not a ST trial out.
The Sox can’t strand too many risp. The Yanks beat Doc Halladay at Toronto just a few days ago.

I love John Schmoltz. He needs to be DFA’d. If you can’t put him in during a tight situation out of the bullpen he is taking up a spot we desperately need right now. Bull pen work is different than starting and if he gets in a pinch right away or comes in with runners on I know everyone on this blog would be scared as heck. Think of how you would feel if Schmoltz came in with runners on in a tight game….that should be your decison about Schmoltz. If you trust him there….that’s your call. Like I said…I love the guy to death…but we need that roster spot ASAP.

We could go on and on here about Smoltz. You think Boston should release him and I think he should go to the pen. This just in, you have your opinion and I have my opinion. I will not change yours and you will not change mine. That is the beauty of this blog.

Brian… Why not take someone from AAA or AA and give them THAT chance (to pitch from the pen when Sox are trailing)..?? Its time to give someone new a chance.. who knows we may be holding back a future “John Smoltz”… Those guys are our future, Schmoltz is not.

Personally this doesn’t come down to his legacy. Smoltz is Cooperstown bound when his career is over. When people remember Smoltz, he’ll be remembered for his Atlanta days. Certainly not his days in Boston and this just in…The book on Smoltz’s career in Boston hasn’t been written. So far the book on Smolz in Boston is a scary one and who knows maybe Red Sox fan Stephen King will write one. There will be very few people that will remember Smoltz for his starts in a Red Sox uniform, those are the NEGATIVE types anyway and for those people, you will NEVER please them anyway. You mentioned the face of Smoltz in the dugout, I liked that look about him. That means he cares and still wants to compete. Smoltz is disgusted with himself…He is a competitor!

These are dark days in the Nation of Red Sox! I’m hoping that the boys can break out, dig deep and find that second wind, that place where the pain fades into the background and you can reach WAY down and a hidden reservoir of strength that you didn’t know you had comes bubbling to the surface!!! The Sox have got to see light where others see only darkness and despair! Look, if Dustin Hoffman can count all those toothpicks in “Rainman”, and if that one-legged marathoner can finish the race, the Sox can take back this division!!!! Like John Belushi said, “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor???” NO!!
GO SOX!!!! GO SOX!!!!

As for Schmoltz, if we saw a good outing or two followed by a step back; then another 2 or 3 good outings, I would say, Hey, there’s a pattern of improvement. But all we see is step after step back, no forward. No improvement at all. This will not turn out like Schilling in 07 I’m afraid.

This is from the Boston.com about the moves this afternoon – or some of them:

NEW YORK — Junichi Tazawa, the promising righthanded pitcher signed out of Japan’s Industrial League in the offseason, is in the Red Sox’ clubhouse tonight, indicating that he will be added to the roster sometime today.

The Red Sox have also claimed infielder Chris Woodward off waivers from the Seattle Mariners, with lefthanded pitcher Billy Traber designated for assignment to clear a roster spot.

Though the Red Sox have not announced it yet, it is expected that shortstop Jed Lowrie, who left last night’s game with an irritation in his left forearm, will be placed on the disabled list to clear a spot for Tazawa. However, there are indications that there could be another move to come. General manager Theo Epstein has joined the team in New York, which he was not expected to do.

The rise to the major leagues has been rapid for the 23-year-old Tazawa. He was was signed by the Red Sox as an amateur free agent Dec. 11, 2008, agreeing to a three-year contract worth $3.3 million. He became a free agent after teams in Japan’s professional leagues honored his request and did not draft him so he could pitch in the United States.

Tazawa began the season at Double A Portland, where he excelled, going 9-5 in 18 starts with a 2.57 ERA. He was named to the 2009 Eastern League All-Star team and the MLB Futures Game in St. Louis, where he was slated to be the starting pitcher before rain washed out his appearance.

His nine wins were tied for second in the league and his 88 strikeouts were tied for third in the EL when he was promoted to Triple A Pawtucket on July 26.

He has lost both of his starts at Pawtucket, but he has a 2.38 ERA and has limited batters to a .184 average. One of his primary attributes is his command — he walked 26 in 98 innings at Portland and just one in 11.1 innings so far for the PawSox.

Woodward, a 33-year-old veteran of 10 major league seasons, batted .239 with no home runs in 67 at-bats for Seattle. He has played 316 games at shortstop in his career, but just one this season.

He is a lifetime .243 hitter with 33 home runs in 627 games while playing for the Blue Jays, Mets and Braves before joining the Mariners.

Traber, 29, pitched one game for the Red Sox, allowing nine hits and five earned runs in 3.2 innings of the Red Sox’ 13-6 loss to New York.

Hey all.. Although I think it was the right decision to DFA Smoltz, I wish him the best. Good Luck John.
I’m off to do some “Pin Slaying”. though I will miss being here with y’all I will not miss the posting problems…
oG-xoS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oooooooooooW-ooooooooooooW!!!!!!
Wish me luck! Later,
me.

I really felt that Smoltz could have helped the Red Sox in the pen. Smoltz was o.k. for (1) inning but I am in the minority on that but that is o.k. with me.

I have never seen Tazawa pitch but I wonder about these guys that come over from Japan. A season ago he was in the Japanese Industrial League and now he is at Yankee Stadium. This stage might be too big for him, we shall see. I don’t know the mental make-up of this guy.

I tend to agree that DFAing Smoltz was the right move. Yes, I think Brian is right that he could have helped us in the BP for 1-2 innings, but I think he would have been taking up a necessary roster spot.
Tazawa being brought up does not excite me yet. I hope he does not go the way of Buch–have some early success, and struggle thereafter. A minor league player described Tazawa as “a junior Dice-K”. I HOPE NOT!
I still don’t know why we have left Bowden in the minors!

Brian: This is the honorable way for Smoltz to retire as a Brave. It is a classy act for Theo and for the Braves to pick up Smoltz if it is a true.
Smoltz was a great pitcher and will be enshrined in 5 years.
Let’s score some runs for Beckett.

Andy, the cynic in me says that Tazawa is being brought up as a PR move, to demonstrate that we still “like” Japanese pitchers, after the Dice-K mess. (Boy, I lived in Washington too long!). I also hope he is not being rushed, but I think he is.
COME ON JOSH!

Bowden’s record as a starter, Andy? That would not surprise me. He was doing well up here as a reliever. No, that is not what he may be being groomed for, Jeff, but I would like to see it. And no, it does not settle the STARTER issue.

Speaking of pitchers, the real shame (if the Sox don’t make the playoffs this year, which I am afraid is more likely than not at this point) is to waste such good years by Lester and Beckett. How many clubs with two aces and the hitters that the Sox are suppossed to have, don’t make the playoffs. This is just a complete tank of the SPs.

The one person that is tough to not stew over is Dice-K, for $50 mill, to blow your entire season on the WCB and tank your team is tough to take — then again, its the RedSox training program? (who knows it could be, TC was commenting on that, how the go after star performers then make then conform to their methods, and then suddenly they are no longer star performers… hmmmm).

All we need is one more SP to win more often than not, and we could still make the playoffs — I don’t see that happening unless Dice-K or Wake return immediately in top form.

Since the postings are in order again, I will say it again. I wish I agreed with you, Andy, about the PR question. Tazawa coming up is setting him up for failure, and there are few other explanations for it.

Yea, I am not sure the Martinez deal is working for the greater good either, cause it takes Lowell out of the lineup, and we need any bat we can get. Probably better to sit Varitek, and leave Lowell in, somebody on this team has to hit.

I sure hope this press conference by Papi, clears his consciousness. I remember when Manny got busted earlier in the year, and they were interviewing Papi — at the time, I thought — man Papi looks like he was just discovered, it was more than sympathy, it looked like quilt (to me) — I guess we shall see — but he sure is having a miserable year, it has to be mental at this point.

I doubt we’ll see Ortiz as the D.H. in the next (2) games. N.Y. will sending (2) lefties to the mound. I’m guessing Martinez will be the D.H. the next (2) games. Ortiz needs a mental break, 0 for his last 19. OUCH!

Wow, what a game !!! … Two great pitching performances by Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett — a pitchers duel that has lived up to its advance billing !!!
.
Going into the top of the 8th …
Red Sox 0, Yankees 0
It doesn’t get much better than this !!!
.
— Jimmy 27NYY Curran, “BY&L”
— http://baseballtheyankeesandlife.mlblogs.com/

I would have let A.J. stay in the game !!!
.
On the replay, Ellsbury looked like he was out on his stolen base !!!
.
Anyway, Phil Hughes gets the final out …
Oh !!! … What a game !!!
.
Into the bottom of the 8th we go …
Red Sox 0, Yankees 0

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